Vinyls Rule!!!!

Ahhh yes, vinyl... or as my sister says "Vin-lee"


Even at 17, I am enjoying the beauty of vinyl, not just the sound mind you, but the fun of the records aswell.

Well actually i find that vinyls rule with opera and classical music, but they dont have the slam for rock. Cds sound more fun with rock and pop music. Opera and classical sounds very intimate with vinyl, whereas cds sound cold and distant in opera and classical. But honestly the level of details and clarity is higher on cds.

Also i find that vinyl can sound too cuddly or warm at times. I heard a good vinyl player costing 500 pounds with very nice tube amplifier and decent speakers, some locally made Caldera speakers ( 1200$ for speakers + amp combo)

Vinyl is more of an acquired taste IMO. CDs serve the purpose better IMO.

I am neither a big audiophile neither do i own expensive equipment, just my opinion.

Actually the supremacy of SACD over CDs and dare I say over vinyl is most amply demonstrated in large orchestral music. SACDs are capable of dynamic swings and coherence that vinyl can only dream about. And of course if the music is too analytical for your liking, you can always add a tube pre. The bass dynamics and definition of a good SACD/DVDA is simply unmatched by vinyl. I can see how folks will prefer vinyl for opera and vocals, midrange warmth gives a perception of naturalness to voices.

I am not yet ready to comment on "vinyl over cd" however I will submit the following insight.

I just "reassembled" my old stereo system with the point being able to use my old LP's (1200 of them). The only thing of the old system which remained were my ProAc SuperTablette speakers. An entire new NAIM system was purchased (Nait5-CD5) and a Rega P3 turntable. My CD's (1000 of them!) now sound AWESOME!!! A truly mystical experience listening through a great system.

The vinyl was disappointing. The Rega just could not hold a candle to the Naim CD. So- A trip back to the dealer to audition more turntables. The Rega P25 (1 step below the top of the line) AND the big KAHUNA of them all- the fabled Linn LP12.

WELL Listening to the first 15 seconds on the LP12 took on something of a "Religious Experience". I was completely BLOWN away (I would hope so with the price that it costs). I cannot get the demo experience out of my head! Records now sound TRULY amazing.

Gregg
PS My new Linn should arrive next week! Then I will let you know!

After wrestling with the "which is better?" question for way too long, I finally came to the conclusion that comparing records to CDs is like comparing apples to oranges. Each format has its strengths and weaknesses.

I have a turntable because quite a bit of music I like has never been reissued on CD. And it's supposed to be about the music, right? !

And am I the only one who hates the word "vinyls"? They are RECORDS.

Jeffery

i'm also tired of people callin' cds "cee dees"...

Are you calling them "compact discs" ?

no no...i type "cds" not "cee dees"...

just think it's silly...would you type out em pee three?...

I had the same experience between a Sota vacuum turntable and a XA777ES in a uber system (CJ Premier 17LS pre and Premier 11 tube amp). We played several things, but in particular the vinyl version of Diana Krall and the SACD, and they both sounded awesome. The turtable was better though.
For me it makes sense as I mostly listen to chamber music and indie rock (mostly more low key stuff) on my turntable...it cannot recreate an orchestra like digital, but it rules from the midrange up -- the top end utterly smokes digital. I noticed this in playing the record version of Hail to the Thief versus the cd. The chimes in Sit down stand up were far more natural than on the cd. Please note that my cd player retails more than 3500 dollars more than my record player as well...

I think this is a pretty common phenomena.

I run a Krell MD10/Studio Transport and DAC combo which retailed for around $12000 in the US and £12000 UK pounds (bloody rip-off britain). I also run a Project RPM9 with an Ortofon Rohmann MC which weighs in at £2000.

Again the Project RPM9 outclasses the Krell by a big margin. On some Rock and Orchestral recordings the extra dynamics that the CD player provides will give it the edge but overall I prefer listening to the vinyl rather than cd.



The main issue with vinyl for most people is that they still remember playing vinyl on Dansettes and other crappy systems. Unfortunately they are unaware of the advancements that have been made in vinyl playback systems and cannot comprehend that there is still a place for vinyl. Like redbook cd I think that the real potential has yet to tapped. Time will tell.

Both are Great

I like both. And thankful this forum, in particular, convinced me to get back to records.

While one can try to compare there are many factors, so depends on how much weight you place on them individually and aggregate. I have similar sentiments as JefferyK said kind of like comparing apples to oranges. Tough and rather not go there.

Guessing most everyone has a CD player while TTs are not quite as pervasive. So so comments for those still wondering is a TT worth it or to just stick with CDs.

A record sounds best when clean and on a properly set-up table(Does NOT have to be expensive). Also, there is a lot of music on records that may be difficult to find on CDs, converse is also true but to lesser extent.

CDs are easy. Plug and play. Records and TTs require considerably more care. But I am finding my proficiency is increasing and becoming less of a concern. Records and TTs can also be fun, coz I think there is more opportunity fot the tweaking/tinkering.

I love record art as well.

As long as I have more options for music the better. Like having a broader menu to choose. I do not like to compare pizza, sushi, or a fine 5 course meal all can be quite satisfying depending on my appetite as can a beer vs a good wine.

My iHP-120 is a lower quality source, but provides equal enjoyment coz can take a lot of my music with me, and often away from the home system. The music is what counts for me more than the media or hardware. But I am spending a bit more on HW & media lately.

I am glad that you acknowledge that vinyl cannot recreate an orchestra like SACDs, in that department vinyl is totally outclassed. I do not agree about the midrange and up assessment but then again different strokes for different folks and I can see why folks might prefer vinyl for midrange heavy works.

Actually, I should temper my remarks -- evidently with a Grodinsky dynamic expander it can. Normally the signal in vinyl is compressed to fit within a certain dynamic range -- this is a standard from the early days when they could not fit a wide dynamic range on records. An inventor named Robert Grodinsky invented a device that reconstituted the original dynamic range of the recording. It was only on the market for a few years I guess, but they are legendary. Evidently they work incredibly well. The chances of finding one, however, are slim to none.

This is audiophilia where for some commonsense takes a nap , if you inserted such a contraption into the signal chain, you can take it to the bank, some folks will complain that it has degraded the purity of their precious vinyl sound and that they have lost some 'MUSICALITY' at the expense of dynamic range, Now what does musicality mean?